Tracker App

Quick Draft HBG 1 September 2022

1 September 10:20 - u51010cze 7 Wins - 1 Losses
Maindeck
Instant, Sorcery, Enchantment, Artifact (8)
2 Grim Bounty image
2 Sewer Plague image
1 Deadly Dispute image
1 Dragon's Fire image
1 Mephit's Enthusiasm image
1 Improvised Weaponry image
Creature (15)
1 Gut, Fanatical Priestess image
1 Black Dragon image
1 Viconia, Nightsinger's Disciple image
1 A-Guildsworn Prowler image
1 Kobold Warcaller image
1 Ambergris, Citadel Agent image
3 Hobgoblin Captain image
1 Sarevok the Usurper image
1 Valor Singer image
1 A-Manticore image
1 Pilgrim's Eye image
1 Battle Cry Goblin image
1 Genasi Rabble-Rouser image
Land (17)
9 Mountain image
8 Swamp image
Sideboard
1 Giant Fire Beetles image
1 Tymora's Invoker image
1 Nefarious Imp image
2 Clever Conjurer image
2 Goblin Trapfinder image
1 Circle of the Moon Druid image
1 Hoard Robber image
1 Armor of Shadows image
2 A-Lantern of Revealing image
1 You Come to the Gnoll Camp image
1 Deadly Dispute image
1 Farideh's Fireball image
1 A-Carnelian Orb of Dragonkind image
1 Unexpected Allies image
1 Mind Spike image
1 Incessant Provocation image

Pack 1 Pick 1: Prosper, Tome-Bound
Prosper, Tome-Bound image 5.0 This is really strong. It doesn’t start with the best stat-line ever, but hey – at least it can block and stop a lot of things from attacking! That gets especially spicy too, because it effectively draws you a card every turn. Provided you get to your end step the turn you play it, you’re going to get at least a 2-for-1, and if Prosper sticks around, you’re going to get a ton of cards – and treasure too! It even lets you play lands, which is always great.
Portable Hole image 1.5 This is a reprint from Forgotten Realms, and it was pretty mediocre in that Limited format. You can definitely play it in your White decks and it usually won’t feel horrible, but there will be some games where you have no real targets for this. Your typical Limited deck will probably have 4-5 things it can hit, and that’s a little too narrow.
Draconic Lore image 3.0 Six mana to draw three is probably a 1.5 at best, and a 4-mana Draw 3 is probably a 3.5. So obviously, you need to be in UG or UR to take full advantage of this, as those are both Dragon tribal decks. Because those are really focused archetypes in the format, I don’t really think this needs a build around grade.
Two-Handed Axe image 3.0 A trick that just gives double strike isn’t usually that impressive, but you can use this pretty happily in the early game just to chip in for more damage, ahead of casting this as an Equipment – that’s not something you want to be doing with a normal double strike. Now, the Equipment here isn’t amazing, I don’t think. Doubling power is pretty nice of course, but it doesn’t make your creature any less vulnerable in combat. Sticking this on something evasive is what you really want to be doing, but if you put it on most things, it does turn that creature into a pretty real threat. I just wish it were a little less clunky. Still, you have two solid cards here and that’s nice.
You Come to the Gnoll Camp image 1.5 Neither option here is great. Individually, they would probably both be a 1.0. +3/+1 for two mana just isn’t a big enough boost, and making a couple of things unable to block doesn’t always matter either. It isn’t the worst thing in the world to run in your deck, but you probably do cut it more than you play it.
Inspiring Bard image 2.5 Neither mode here is amazing, but you’ll almost always be in a situation where one of them is useful. If you’re behind, you’ll gain life, and if you’re ahead, you’ll buff something so you can send it in.
Undercellar Myconid image 3.5 I like this common a lot. A 3-mana ½ that gives you a 1/1 token is probably a 2.0 and a 3-mana ½ that taps for mana of any color is probably a 2.5. Stapling both of those together and adding another token to the mix is pretty dang impressive. Even if your opponent takes this down before it can make mana, it leaves two 1/1s around, and if they don’t, you can probably ramp into your 5 drop on turn 4, which is pretty sweet.
Wizened Githzerai image 1.5 This doesn’t seem that good to me. Sure, it can chump block or trade and make a creature worse, but chumping is not something you want to be doing a whole lot. And yeah, the -2/-0 sticks around no matter what happens to the creature, but I still feel like this is a two drop you will cut pretty often.
Summon Undead image 1.5 // 3.0 Here’s another pretty solid reanimation spell. It also mills you, to set up your cards that care about cards in the graveyard, and I like that. There are enough ways to discard cards in this format that I think setting this up is very doable. It probably does need a build around grade, because if you aren’t in a deck with any targets WORTH reanimating, it isn’t worth playing.
You Line Up the Shot image 1.5 So, this is the usual “Crushing Canopy” type effect we see, but it is actually a little bit better. This is because instead of paying three up front, you can choose to pay in installments. It is also better because it can also just be cycled away for one mana. This card does suffer a bit from the fact there are some adventures in this set that let you deal with the same sorts of things, and they turn into creatures, so those are probably just better than You Line Up the Shot. But still, any time you add Cycling to a card that can be situationally useful, it tends to be playable, and I think that’s what we have here.
A-Guildsworn Prowler image
A-Eyes of the Beholder image
Icewind Stalwart image 1.5 Hill Giant stats aren’t something I love, and I’m not sure the ETB ability here will do something often enough to really overcome that. There are certainly creatures with ETB abilities to abuse and the like, but you still won’t have this matter often enough for it to be anything special.
You Find the Villains' Lair image 1.5 This wasn’t especially good in Forgotten Realms. Sure, it has two modes and everything, but neither of them is especially good, and both are fairly situational. This can be Cancel, or a three mana Faithless Looting, and that just isn’t something you’re always in the market for.
Pack 1 Pick 2: Improvised Weaponry
Alora, Rogue Companion image 2.5 // 3.5 This Specialize creature seems a little more build-aroundy than most of them do. On its own, it can make itself unblockable and hit for three, but then it has to return to your hand, and that’s not…amazing. Obviously, making something else unblockable that has an ETB ability or something is super good, but you won’t always pull that off. Then, once Alora specializes, she adds an extra bonus to the creature returning to your hand, but you still really need to be returning something that gives you value already – either by hitting your opponent hard or retriggering ETB – because the bonuses don’t seem that great for the most part. Basically, if your deck doesn’t have much in the way of ETBs to rebuy, this doesn’t seem especially good, and if you do – she’ll be quite good.
Draconic Lore image 3.0 Six mana to draw three is probably a 1.5 at best, and a 4-mana Draw 3 is probably a 3.5. So obviously, you need to be in UG or UR to take full advantage of this, as those are both Dragon tribal decks. Because those are really focused archetypes in the format, I don’t really think this needs a build around grade.
Draconic Muralists image 3.5 This is a 4-mana 4/3 that draws you any Dragon in your deck, and this format has a lot of dragons, including some bombs! This is a great 2-for-1, especially in the Dragon tribal decks.
Water Weird image 3.0 When you hit your opponent with this, you get a pretty good trigger. You either get to grow the Weird, or Surveil 1, and both are pretty nice options.
Armor of Shadows image 1.5 This is a solid trick. Any time one costs only a single mana, it warrants some serious consideration to make your deck. +1/+0 isn’t the greatest thing ever – your creature really needs decent size already to fully take advantage of this as a trick, but it IS a power boost that will upgrade enough creatures and let them do lethal to an opposing creature. On top of that, it can also save a creature from damage or destroy removal, which is some nice secondary upside.
Improvised Weaponry image 2.5 This was pretty nice in Forgotten Realms. It could kill enough creatures in that format that it sort of overperformed. It may not be quite as good here, but 3 mana to do 2 to anything and getting a treasure back is a pretty solid deal.
A-Blessed Hippogriff image
Vampire Spawn image 3.0 This was a nice little common in Forgotten Realms. It has passable stats and creates a life point difference of 4 just from entering the battlefield. That is surprisingly good!
Gray Slaad image 1.0 // 3.0 So, the Black-Green deck in this format is pretty interested in milling itself, and this looks like a nice enabler and payoff for that deck. A 4/1 with Menace and Deathtouch is pretty hard to interact with! However, you pretty much have to be in that deck, or the Adventure on this isn’t very good, and the creature won’t be that good either. Only counting creature cards for it to get the bonus is pretty rough too. This probably means this needs a build around grade. It will be a really good Common for Black/Green decks, but pretty mediocre for everyone else.
Sylvan Shepherd image 2.0 This has passable stats and it is a repeatable source of life gain, which GW is especially interested in.
Hypnotic Pattern image 0.0 These Blue cards that just lower power don’t tend to be very good, and I think that’s true here, even with the perpetual -2/-0. Sure, it costs one, but most of the time you don’t get a card worth of value out of a card like this. Looking at it as “removal” is pretty dangerous, because the creature you use it on will still be able to do pretty much everything a creature can do. Sure, maybe it doesn’t attack or block as well – but it can do both of them. And, using this as a trick isn’t great either, because your creature still needs enough power to kill the thing you use it on.
A-Steadfast Unicorn image
Mace of Disruption image 1.0 The idea is that you have duplicates created by Double Team, and while that is going to happen, the fact that the perpetual +1/+0 is so conditional makes this pretty bad, as the initial boost isn’t really enough to make the card worth playing.
Pack 1 Pick 3: Black Dragon
Two-Handed Axe image 3.0 A trick that just gives double strike isn’t usually that impressive, but you can use this pretty happily in the early game just to chip in for more damage, ahead of casting this as an Equipment – that’s not something you want to be doing with a normal double strike. Now, the Equipment here isn’t amazing, I don’t think. Doubling power is pretty nice of course, but it doesn’t make your creature any less vulnerable in combat. Sticking this on something evasive is what you really want to be doing, but if you put it on most things, it does turn that creature into a pretty real threat. I just wish it were a little less clunky. Still, you have two solid cards here and that’s nice.
Lozhan, Dragons' Legacy image 4.0 So, Blue/Red is into both Dragons and Adventures, and boy – this is a super powerful payoff for both. A 5-mana 4/2 Flyer is actually a solid stat-line, so the fact it staples removal spells to your Dragons and Adventures is pretty insane. It also helps that there are two dragons in the format that are common that ALSO have adventures. So casting either half of those is amazing, and casting both will be close to unbeatable.
Black Dragon image 3.5 Forgotten Realms ended up being fast enough that this big dragon really underperformed. In most formats, this would have been really good, and I fully expect this to be better in this format than in that one. This comes down with a very real body and kills something, and you definitely get 7 mana’s worth of value. This format also has some pretty legitimate reanimator stuff going on, so getting this to come into play early is a real possibility.
Ettercap image 2.5 Always nice to have a main deck Plummet that can also be a creature when you don’t have a target. Like most of the Commone Adventure creatures in this set, neither side of the card is anything special, but the fact this can do both – and sometimes get you a 2-for-1 – makes this very playable.
Earth-Cult Elemental image 1.5 This was a bit of a disappointment in Forgotten Realms. It has passable stats, but six drops that didn’t like…gain you life, were kind of a liability in that format. It will probably be a little bit better here, but its ETB ability isn’t that great either. By the time this comes down many players have expendable permanents, so it is mostly the kind of thing your opponent will shrug about. It is passable as a top-curve creature, but that’s about it.
Soulknife Spy image 3.0 Another Forgotten Realms reprint, and this was one of the few Blue Commons in that set that I would describe as “Good.” A card that draws you a card when it hits the opponent is pretty sweet when it comes with solid stats, and this definitely does. If you can give it evasion in some way, it becomes a must kill, and even when you aren’t able to do that, it still becomes something your opponent better trade for.
A-Manticore image
Band Together image 3.5 We have seen cards that cost the same and only let one creature do damage equal to their power to something, and they tend to be pretty close to premium. This lets you have two creatures do the damage, which is significant for two reasons. First, it means you can find more situations where this will function as removal. Second, it makes you less vulnerable to your opponent interacting, since now they can kill one of your creatures and you can still do some damage. I think the whole “two creature” side of things is enough to make this premium.
You Line Up the Shot image 1.5 So, this is the usual “Crushing Canopy” type effect we see, but it is actually a little bit better. This is because instead of paying three up front, you can choose to pay in installments. It is also better because it can also just be cycled away for one mana. This card does suffer a bit from the fact there are some adventures in this set that let you deal with the same sorts of things, and they turn into creatures, so those are probably just better than You Line Up the Shot. But still, any time you add Cycling to a card that can be situationally useful, it tends to be playable, and I think that’s what we have here.
A-Steadfast Unicorn image
Warriors of Tiamat image 2.5 A 5-mana 4/2 with Haste isn’t something you want to play, but combining haste with Double Team is pretty spicy, since it means unlike other Double Team creatures, you can get that extra copy of the card before your opponent has a chance to untap. The downside, of course, is lots of cheap creatures and removal can trade with this thing, but they still have to find a way to deal with it twice, and that’s pretty nice.
Prophetic Prism image 2.0 Mana filters don’t tend to be great in Limited, but adding a cantrip to a card like this definitely makes me interested. We’ve seen this card in some really artifact-centric sets actually be quite good, but this format doesn’t have any big Artifact theme, so it doesn’t have that benefit here. It is probably mostly just solid.
Pack 1 Pick 4: Kobold Warcaller
Mind Spike image 1.5 This is a neat take on Duress – and that’s what this is for the most part. You do get less info about your opponents hand, because they only reveal cards you can hit. Normally Duress isn’t really playable in your main deck in limited, however this adds the bonus of just turning into a one mana draw one when you don’t hit something. That gets around the main problem with Duress, which is that it does stone nothing way too often. Still, you do pay 2 life, and this isn’t exactly a hugely impactful card regardless of which thing happens, so you’re going to cut it a lot. But you’ll play it more than Duress!
Choose Your Weapon image 1.5 This is a Forgotten Realms reprint, and it was fine in that set. It is a pretty typical modal card in that both parts of it are pretty underwhelming. The trick wouldn’t be good enough to play and the Flyer removal spell would be a sideboard card. You lump these two mediocre cards together though, and you end up with a card that will be able to do something meaningful reasonably often. Still, you end up cutting it a lot.
A-Druidic Ritual image
A-Lantern of Revealing image
Armor of Shadows image 1.5 This is a solid trick. Any time one costs only a single mana, it warrants some serious consideration to make your deck. +1/+0 isn’t the greatest thing ever – your creature really needs decent size already to fully take advantage of this as a trick, but it IS a power boost that will upgrade enough creatures and let them do lethal to an opposing creature. On top of that, it can also save a creature from damage or destroy removal, which is some nice secondary upside.
A-Steadfast Unicorn image
A-Dragonborn Looter image
Flaming Fist Duskguard image 2.0 The boon you get here isn’t that exciting, but yeah – it is staples to a two mana 3/1, and that’s a decent aggressive stat-line. This is probably a bread and butter type two drop for White decks.
You Hear Something on Watch image 3.0 This was a solid card for slower decks in Forgotten Realms Limited. Being able to kill a whole lot of creatures in the format for only two mana is nice, even if it is situational – and that is the mode you’ll use the most on this. But the board pump comes up sometimes too!
Chain Devil image 2.0 We see these creatures that ETB and make both players sacrifice something a lot, and they are usually pretty medium. It is nice that this one says “nontoken,” as your opponent having a token when you play an effect like this is pretty brutal. Of course, it also means that you can’t sacrifice a token to it either! There are decks in this format that will have good sacrifice fodder and stuff, and I think this will slot in as a decent card in most Black decks.
Kobold Warcaller image 2.0 We have seen a lot of one mana 1/1s that can tap and give haste to things, and they tend to be pretty decent. This is obviously an upgrade, because you don’t actually have to cast your creature for it to get the Haste – you can use this during your opponents end step and then cast the Haste creature on your turn, for example. Plus, the creature will keep haste no matter where it goes! It still isn’t amazing or anything, but seems like a fine one drop for aggressive Red decks.
Pack 1 Pick 5: Summon Undead
Prosperous Innkeeper image 3.5 This was really nice in Forgotten Realms, and it will be here too! Gaining the life is a big deal, especially in Green/White, and the fact that it ramps and fixes for you is great.
A-Sigil of Myrkul image
Kobold Warcaller image 2.0 We have seen a lot of one mana 1/1s that can tap and give haste to things, and they tend to be pretty decent. This is obviously an upgrade, because you don’t actually have to cast your creature for it to get the Haste – you can use this during your opponents end step and then cast the Haste creature on your turn, for example. Plus, the creature will keep haste no matter where it goes! It still isn’t amazing or anything, but seems like a fine one drop for aggressive Red decks.
Mace of Disruption image 1.0 The idea is that you have duplicates created by Double Team, and while that is going to happen, the fact that the perpetual +1/+0 is so conditional makes this pretty bad, as the initial boost isn’t really enough to make the card worth playing.
Blur image 2.0 This is a decent way to blink a creature. Adding “Draw a Card” to it makes a big difference, because it means it replaces itself – and that’s good, because you won’t always have a way to use this card effectively enough. The UW deck is about blinking creatures and stuff, and obviously this can get the job done in that deck.
A-Druidic Ritual image
Summon Undead image 1.5 // 3.0 Here’s another pretty solid reanimation spell. It also mills you, to set up your cards that care about cards in the graveyard, and I like that. There are enough ways to discard cards in this format that I think setting this up is very doable. It probably does need a build around grade, because if you aren’t in a deck with any targets WORTH reanimating, it isn’t worth playing.
Icewind Stalwart image 1.5 Hill Giant stats aren’t something I love, and I’m not sure the ETB ability here will do something often enough to really overcome that. There are certainly creatures with ETB abilities to abuse and the like, but you still won’t have this matter often enough for it to be anything special.
A-Steadfast Unicorn image
Cloak of the Bat image 1.5 This sort of Equipment always seems to underwhelm. It feels like it should actually do something nice pretty often, but it just doesn’t. If you have a big ol’ creature it feels pretty good, but the awkward thing about the card is that if you want to take advantage of the Haste end of thing, you need to have the mana available to equip it to whatever new creature you play. The creature also has to already be pretty good for these keywords to do their job.
Pack 1 Pick 6: A-Young Red Dragon
Mephit's Enthusiasm image 4.0 This is premium removal. Two mana for 4 damage is great, even on a Sorcery, so the fact that you’ll sometimes get to buff your next creature is the cherry on top.
Seek New Knowledge image 2.5 So, you end up only getting a 1-for-1 in the end, but because it always gets you two nonlands, that makes it significantly better than most draw spells which you can hit lands with. Now, the downside is you can’t use this to help you hit your third land drop – and that’s something that you usually want to use this sort of card for early, but this is mostly a mid-to-late game card, and that’s certainly a bit awkward on a two mana draw spell. Still, the card selection seems powerful and efficient enough that I think I would be interested in playing the first copy.
Clever Conjurer image 2.0 This is another Forgotten Realms reprint, and it was fairly unimpressive in that format. It can help you ramp, which is cool, but the fact you can’t use the ability at instant speed is a huge bummer, as it makes the card wayyy worse. It can’t be used to threaten to untap things when your opponent attacks you and things like that.
Iron Golem image 1.0 This has solid stats, but the whole has to block and attack thing is a pretty big downside. You end up in situations where the trades are super ugly for you, or worse – you can’t even trade because they have a large creature.
A-Young Red Dragon image
Gray Slaad image 1.0 // 3.0 So, the Black-Green deck in this format is pretty interested in milling itself, and this looks like a nice enabler and payoff for that deck. A 4/1 with Menace and Deathtouch is pretty hard to interact with! However, you pretty much have to be in that deck, or the Adventure on this isn’t very good, and the creature won’t be that good either. Only counting creature cards for it to get the bonus is pretty rough too. This probably means this needs a build around grade. It will be a really good Common for Black/Green decks, but pretty mediocre for everyone else.
You Line Up the Shot image 1.5 So, this is the usual “Crushing Canopy” type effect we see, but it is actually a little bit better. This is because instead of paying three up front, you can choose to pay in installments. It is also better because it can also just be cycled away for one mana. This card does suffer a bit from the fact there are some adventures in this set that let you deal with the same sorts of things, and they turn into creatures, so those are probably just better than You Line Up the Shot. But still, any time you add Cycling to a card that can be situationally useful, it tends to be playable, and I think that’s what we have here.
A-Baleful Beholder image
Blur image 2.0 This is a decent way to blink a creature. Adding “Draw a Card” to it makes a big difference, because it means it replaces itself – and that’s good, because you won’t always have a way to use this card effectively enough. The UW deck is about blinking creatures and stuff, and obviously this can get the job done in that deck.
Pack 1 Pick 7: A-Guildsworn Prowler
Monk of the Open Hand image 2.0 Another Forgotten Realms reprint. This was a decent one drop in that format, as getting the counters on it came a little easier than I expected it to. Getting it in play late doesn’t feel very good, though.
A-Emerald Dragon image
Hypnotic Pattern image 0.0 These Blue cards that just lower power don’t tend to be very good, and I think that’s true here, even with the perpetual -2/-0. Sure, it costs one, but most of the time you don’t get a card worth of value out of a card like this. Looking at it as “removal” is pretty dangerous, because the creature you use it on will still be able to do pretty much everything a creature can do. Sure, maybe it doesn’t attack or block as well – but it can do both of them. And, using this as a trick isn’t great either, because your creature still needs enough power to kill the thing you use it on.
A-Guildsworn Prowler image
Armor of Shadows image 1.5 This is a solid trick. Any time one costs only a single mana, it warrants some serious consideration to make your deck. +1/+0 isn’t the greatest thing ever – your creature really needs decent size already to fully take advantage of this as a trick, but it IS a power boost that will upgrade enough creatures and let them do lethal to an opposing creature. On top of that, it can also save a creature from damage or destroy removal, which is some nice secondary upside.
Hill Giant Herdgorger image 2.5 In Forgotten Realms, if you were in Green, you really needed one of these to help you stabilize against the formats aggro decks, and it did a pretty darn good job between its size and the life gain effect. It will likely fill a similar role in Green decks int his format. All of these big ol’ green creatures that gain you life have been pretty solid in recent formats, and I think that’s true here.
Soulknife Spy image 3.0 Another Forgotten Realms reprint, and this was one of the few Blue Commons in that set that I would describe as “Good.” A card that draws you a card when it hits the opponent is pretty sweet when it comes with solid stats, and this definitely does. If you can give it evasion in some way, it becomes a must kill, and even when you aren’t able to do that, it still becomes something your opponent better trade for.
You Line Up the Shot image 1.5 So, this is the usual “Crushing Canopy” type effect we see, but it is actually a little bit better. This is because instead of paying three up front, you can choose to pay in installments. It is also better because it can also just be cycled away for one mana. This card does suffer a bit from the fact there are some adventures in this set that let you deal with the same sorts of things, and they turn into creatures, so those are probably just better than You Line Up the Shot. But still, any time you add Cycling to a card that can be situationally useful, it tends to be playable, and I think that’s what we have here.
Pack 1 Pick 8: Warriors of Tiamat
Chardalyn Dragon image 1.5 This is not a great stat-line in Limited, but it has a useful creature type, I guess? You probably only run this if you’ve whiffed on all the better Dragons out there.
Warriors of Tiamat image 2.5 A 5-mana 4/2 with Haste isn’t something you want to play, but combining haste with Double Team is pretty spicy, since it means unlike other Double Team creatures, you can get that extra copy of the card before your opponent has a chance to untap. The downside, of course, is lots of cheap creatures and removal can trade with this thing, but they still have to find a way to deal with it twice, and that’s pretty nice.
A-You Come to a River image
Demogorgon's Clutches image 1.5 This is an underwhelming reprint. It is a Mind Rot with some added value, but the added value is too minimal for it to really be that much better than Mind Rot.
Unexpected Windfall image 1.5 This is a card that is great in constructed, but much less impressive in Limited. Spending 4 mana and giving up two cards to get back two cards and a couple of treasure just isn’t as impactful. That doesn’t mean this is bad – but it definitely isn’t something you run in all of your Red decks.
Dueling Rapier image 1.5 This ended up being surprisingly solid in Forgotten Realms, but that format turned out to be fairly aggressive, and there was an Equipment deck. Without that synergy, this is basically a one mana trick that gives +2/+0 and then the boost sticks around. That can definitely be good, but because it doesn’t offer any boost that will assist your creature in SURVIVING combat, it is a bit more limited. Your creature will usually just go down, even if it takes another creature with it. Then, you have to deal with Equip 4, which is pretty ugly. I mean, you definitely end up playing one of these in really aggressive Red decks, but you cut it a fair bit too.
Soulknife Spy image 3.0 Another Forgotten Realms reprint, and this was one of the few Blue Commons in that set that I would describe as “Good.” A card that draws you a card when it hits the opponent is pretty sweet when it comes with solid stats, and this definitely does. If you can give it evasion in some way, it becomes a must kill, and even when you aren’t able to do that, it still becomes something your opponent better trade for.
Pack 1 Pick 9: A-Eyes of the Beholder
Portable Hole image 1.5 This is a reprint from Forgotten Realms, and it was pretty mediocre in that Limited format. You can definitely play it in your White decks and it usually won’t feel horrible, but there will be some games where you have no real targets for this. Your typical Limited deck will probably have 4-5 things it can hit, and that’s a little too narrow.
You Come to the Gnoll Camp image 1.5 Neither option here is great. Individually, they would probably both be a 1.0. +3/+1 for two mana just isn’t a big enough boost, and making a couple of things unable to block doesn’t always matter either. It isn’t the worst thing in the world to run in your deck, but you probably do cut it more than you play it.
Wizened Githzerai image 1.5 This doesn’t seem that good to me. Sure, it can chump block or trade and make a creature worse, but chumping is not something you want to be doing a whole lot. And yeah, the -2/-0 sticks around no matter what happens to the creature, but I still feel like this is a two drop you will cut pretty often.
Summon Undead image 1.5 // 3.0 Here’s another pretty solid reanimation spell. It also mills you, to set up your cards that care about cards in the graveyard, and I like that. There are enough ways to discard cards in this format that I think setting this up is very doable. It probably does need a build around grade, because if you aren’t in a deck with any targets WORTH reanimating, it isn’t worth playing.
A-Eyes of the Beholder image
You Find the Villains' Lair image 1.5 This wasn’t especially good in Forgotten Realms. Sure, it has two modes and everything, but neither of them is especially good, and both are fairly situational. This can be Cancel, or a three mana Faithless Looting, and that just isn’t something you’re always in the market for.
Pack 1 Pick 10: Gray Slaad
Water Weird image 3.0 When you hit your opponent with this, you get a pretty good trigger. You either get to grow the Weird, or Surveil 1, and both are pretty nice options.
Armor of Shadows image 1.5 This is a solid trick. Any time one costs only a single mana, it warrants some serious consideration to make your deck. +1/+0 isn’t the greatest thing ever – your creature really needs decent size already to fully take advantage of this as a trick, but it IS a power boost that will upgrade enough creatures and let them do lethal to an opposing creature. On top of that, it can also save a creature from damage or destroy removal, which is some nice secondary upside.
Gray Slaad image 1.0 // 3.0 So, the Black-Green deck in this format is pretty interested in milling itself, and this looks like a nice enabler and payoff for that deck. A 4/1 with Menace and Deathtouch is pretty hard to interact with! However, you pretty much have to be in that deck, or the Adventure on this isn’t very good, and the creature won’t be that good either. Only counting creature cards for it to get the bonus is pretty rough too. This probably means this needs a build around grade. It will be a really good Common for Black/Green decks, but pretty mediocre for everyone else.
Hypnotic Pattern image 0.0 These Blue cards that just lower power don’t tend to be very good, and I think that’s true here, even with the perpetual -2/-0. Sure, it costs one, but most of the time you don’t get a card worth of value out of a card like this. Looking at it as “removal” is pretty dangerous, because the creature you use it on will still be able to do pretty much everything a creature can do. Sure, maybe it doesn’t attack or block as well – but it can do both of them. And, using this as a trick isn’t great either, because your creature still needs enough power to kill the thing you use it on.
Mace of Disruption image 1.0 The idea is that you have duplicates created by Double Team, and while that is going to happen, the fact that the perpetual +1/+0 is so conditional makes this pretty bad, as the initial boost isn’t really enough to make the card worth playing.
Pack 1 Pick 12: Mind Spike
Mind Spike image 1.5 This is a neat take on Duress – and that’s what this is for the most part. You do get less info about your opponents hand, because they only reveal cards you can hit. Normally Duress isn’t really playable in your main deck in limited, however this adds the bonus of just turning into a one mana draw one when you don’t hit something. That gets around the main problem with Duress, which is that it does stone nothing way too often. Still, you do pay 2 life, and this isn’t exactly a hugely impactful card regardless of which thing happens, so you’re going to cut it a lot. But you’ll play it more than Duress!
Armor of Shadows image 1.5 This is a solid trick. Any time one costs only a single mana, it warrants some serious consideration to make your deck. +1/+0 isn’t the greatest thing ever – your creature really needs decent size already to fully take advantage of this as a trick, but it IS a power boost that will upgrade enough creatures and let them do lethal to an opposing creature. On top of that, it can also save a creature from damage or destroy removal, which is some nice secondary upside.
A-Dragonborn Looter image
Pack 1 Pick 13: Mace of Disruption
Mace of Disruption image 1.0 The idea is that you have duplicates created by Double Team, and while that is going to happen, the fact that the perpetual +1/+0 is so conditional makes this pretty bad, as the initial boost isn’t really enough to make the card worth playing.
Blur image 2.0 This is a decent way to blink a creature. Adding “Draw a Card” to it makes a big difference, because it means it replaces itself – and that’s good, because you won’t always have a way to use this card effectively enough. The UW deck is about blinking creatures and stuff, and obviously this can get the job done in that deck.
Pack 1 Pick 14: Clever Conjurer
Clever Conjurer image 2.0 This is another Forgotten Realms reprint, and it was fairly unimpressive in that format. It can help you ramp, which is cool, but the fact you can’t use the ability at instant speed is a huge bummer, as it makes the card wayyy worse. It can’t be used to threaten to untap things when your opponent attacks you and things like that.
Pack 2 Pick 2: Mephit's Enthusiasm
Mephit's Enthusiasm image 4.0 This is premium removal. Two mana for 4 damage is great, even on a Sorcery, so the fact that you’ll sometimes get to buff your next creature is the cherry on top.
A-Carnelian Orb of Dragonkind image
Draconic Muralists image 3.5 This is a 4-mana 4/3 that draws you any Dragon in your deck, and this format has a lot of dragons, including some bombs! This is a great 2-for-1, especially in the Dragon tribal decks.
Wizened Githzerai image 1.5 This doesn’t seem that good to me. Sure, it can chump block or trade and make a creature worse, but chumping is not something you want to be doing a whole lot. And yeah, the -2/-0 sticks around no matter what happens to the creature, but I still feel like this is a two drop you will cut pretty often.
Mace of Disruption image 1.0 The idea is that you have duplicates created by Double Team, and while that is going to happen, the fact that the perpetual +1/+0 is so conditional makes this pretty bad, as the initial boost isn’t really enough to make the card worth playing.
Prophetic Prism image 2.0 Mana filters don’t tend to be great in Limited, but adding a cantrip to a card like this definitely makes me interested. We’ve seen this card in some really artifact-centric sets actually be quite good, but this format doesn’t have any big Artifact theme, so it doesn’t have that benefit here. It is probably mostly just solid.
Circle of the Moon Druid image 2.5 This was alright last time around. The 4/2 side was nice for getting pack tactics on line, and being a 2/4 when on defense is pretty good too. It basically gives you two nice, but unexciting stat-lines, and you get the optimal one for whether you’re attacking or blocking.
A-Manticore image
Flaming Fist Duskguard image 2.0 The boon you get here isn’t that exciting, but yeah – it is staples to a two mana 3/1, and that’s a decent aggressive stat-line. This is probably a bread and butter type two drop for White decks.
Unexpected Allies image 1.0 I’m not a huge fan of this, mostly because at Sorcery speed, it is very easy to disrupt. Your opponent need only respond in any number of ways to get a 2-for-1. Now, if you wait until your opponent’s shields are down, this can do some work, since it makes your creature hit harder, and gives double team to whatever you want – and sometimes there will be spicy options. The +2/+0 means that it will be easier for you to at least get a trade with the attack, and the fact you get First Strike sometimes is a nice bonus that makes the creature very hard to block. However, this set seems to have a high power level, and I’m not sure how much value I see in playing something that is easy to mess up.
A-Eyes of the Beholder image
A-Blessed Hippogriff image
A-Guildsworn Prowler image
Pack 2 Pick 3: Hoard Robber
Bag of Holding image 1.5 This is a pretty cool card, but not a particularly good one most of the time. It is sweet that you can loot and get your cards back later, but you just have to spend so much mana to make those things happen, you’ll find yourself unable to spend it pretty frequently until the late game.
Druid of the Emerald Grove image 4.0 This is quite good. A 4-mana 2/2 that always sought up two basic lands and put them in your hand is a card you would play in a whole lot of decks! It ensures you hit land drops, and fixes your mana really well. So, the fact that sometimes you get to put one or both of those on the battlefield is really serious upside. This might be Green’s best Uncommon.
Underdark Basilisk image 2.5 This was solid in Forgotten Realms. It gets extra good alongside effects that let it damage things – like Band Together – because the Death touch allows it to take down anything. Outside of that, it does a decent job of deterring attacks early, since it can trade for any of your opponents attacks. It also stays relevant all game long.
Hoard Robber image 2.5 This was a big overperformer in Forgotten Realms, where its stat-line really lined up in such a way that actually blocking it early was a challenge in a sea of 2/1 creatures, so it would generate a fair bit of treasure. It will probably be a little less good here, as part of what made it great was fairly format specific, but it is still a pretty nice Common.
Unexpected Windfall image 1.5 This is a card that is great in constructed, but much less impressive in Limited. Spending 4 mana and giving up two cards to get back two cards and a couple of treasure just isn’t as impactful. That doesn’t mean this is bad – but it definitely isn’t something you run in all of your Red decks.
You Hear Something on Watch image 3.0 This was a solid card for slower decks in Forgotten Realms Limited. Being able to kill a whole lot of creatures in the format for only two mana is nice, even if it is situational – and that is the mode you’ll use the most on this. But the board pump comes up sometimes too!
Air-Cult Elemental image 2.0 This is a Forgotten Realms reprint, and it was a fairly disappointing card in that format. In fact, Blue in general was very underpowered in that set! I mean, I normally love a creature that enters the battlefield and bounces something, and if this format is slow enough this will probably be better than it was in Forgotten Realms – but it is hard to get away from my skepticism.
Ettercap image 2.5 Always nice to have a main deck Plummet that can also be a creature when you don’t have a target. Like most of the Commone Adventure creatures in this set, neither side of the card is anything special, but the fact this can do both – and sometimes get you a 2-for-1 – makes this very playable.
You're Ambushed on the Road image 1.0 This was not really playable in Forgotten Realms. It is tempting to look at a card like this and think of all the ways you can use those two modes – but too often neither of the modes is actually worth using up a card. Now, this format does have more reasons to return your own stuff to your hand, but I don’t think that makes this all that much better.
Prophetic Prism image 2.0 Mana filters don’t tend to be great in Limited, but adding a cantrip to a card like this definitely makes me interested. We’ve seen this card in some really artifact-centric sets actually be quite good, but this format doesn’t have any big Artifact theme, so it doesn’t have that benefit here. It is probably mostly just solid.
Steadfast Paladin image 2.5 This is a reprint that was nice in the Lifegain deck in Forgotten Realms. It is certainly nothing special, but it does enough that you play it most of the time in White.
Rimeshield Frost Giant image 2.0 Another reprint, and a pretty medium one. This has some decent-sized ground stats, and Ward 3 does make it hard to get this thing out of the way, but it isn’t a GREAT 5-drop, and really you’re hoping for a better one.
Pack 2 Pick 4: A-Manticore
Lulu, Forgetful Hollyphant image 4.0 Pretty much every card with Specialize looks quite good, and this is no exception. Most of them are playable or better on their front side – and that’s certainly the case here, as a 3-mana ⅓ with Flying that grants Flying to the next creature you cast is definitely a good card – probably a 3.0 on its own. Then, it of course synergizes with itself when it transforms, since it pays you of for attacking with flyers – and all the payoffs are pretty great.
Kagha, Shadow Archdruid image 3.5 Here is the Black-Green signpost Uncommon. As is often the case, Black/Green is about the graveyard. Kagha will usually mill something when she attacks that you can use. The downside is, she’s only a ¼, and even with death touch that makes her fairly vulnerable – she can be double blocked and you can still only trade, for example. For that reason, Kagha will be at her best when you have other ways to mill yourself. Luckily, it looks like that’s what BG is about, and that won’t be that difficult.
A-Manticore image
Iron Golem image 1.0 This has solid stats, but the whole has to block and attack thing is a pretty big downside. You end up in situations where the trades are super ugly for you, or worse – you can’t even trade because they have a large creature.
You Hear Something on Watch image 3.0 This was a solid card for slower decks in Forgotten Realms Limited. Being able to kill a whole lot of creatures in the format for only two mana is nice, even if it is situational – and that is the mode you’ll use the most on this. But the board pump comes up sometimes too!
Mace of Disruption image 1.0 The idea is that you have duplicates created by Double Team, and while that is going to happen, the fact that the perpetual +1/+0 is so conditional makes this pretty bad, as the initial boost isn’t really enough to make the card worth playing.
Incessant Provocation image 1.0 // 3.0 As usual, the Threaten effect in this set is a build around. There is sacrifice stuff around - Seplucher Ghoul at Common can sacrifice things for free, and if you have cards like that the Provocation will be something you want to play, since you can get rid of their creature permanently and get a bonus on the way there! If you don’t have 3+ ways to sacrifice creatures though, you hope you’re not playing this. It does perpetually force the creature to attack, but that really isn’t going to feel like enough most of the time.
Water Weird image 3.0 When you hit your opponent with this, you get a pretty good trigger. You either get to grow the Weird, or Surveil 1, and both are pretty nice options.
Clever Conjurer image 2.0 This is another Forgotten Realms reprint, and it was fairly unimpressive in that format. It can help you ramp, which is cool, but the fact you can’t use the ability at instant speed is a huge bummer, as it makes the card wayyy worse. It can’t be used to threaten to untap things when your opponent attacks you and things like that.
Ettercap image 2.5 Always nice to have a main deck Plummet that can also be a creature when you don’t have a target. Like most of the Commone Adventure creatures in this set, neither side of the card is anything special, but the fact this can do both – and sometimes get you a 2-for-1 – makes this very playable.
You're Ambushed on the Road image 1.0 This was not really playable in Forgotten Realms. It is tempting to look at a card like this and think of all the ways you can use those two modes – but too often neither of the modes is actually worth using up a card. Now, this format does have more reasons to return your own stuff to your hand, but I don’t think that makes this all that much better.
Pack 2 Pick 5: Bonecaller Cleric
Bonecaller Cleric image 3.0 So, here is one of the reanimation effects that I mentioned earlier. It is pretty nice that this is a two drop that can do two-drop things early, and then if you load up the ‘yard it can reanimate something like Black Dragon or something even better! This will work the best in BG, which is quite good at milling itself.
Guiding Bolt image 2.5 We see this effect a lot, and it is usually worth playing in your main deck, though not terribly exciting. Most decks have targets for a removal spell like this, but not so many you can look at this as premium, even with Scry 2 attached. Still, the first copy seems pretty solid.
Dawnbringer Cleric image 2.0 This is another reprint from Forgotten Realms. It is a decent little two drop. If you’re the life gain deck, it can get those triggers going, and the format has enough artifacts and Enchantments that those modes are reasonable too.
Celestial Unicorn image 2.5 This is a Forgotten Realms reprint, and it is a solid little life gain payoff, that goes especially well in the GW deck. It was never super impressive or anything, but hey – it can definitely grow throughout the game in a good GW deck.
Inspiring Bard image 2.5 Neither mode here is amazing, but you’ll almost always be in a situation where one of them is useful. If you’re behind, you’ll gain life, and if you’re ahead, you’ll buff something so you can send it in.
Thieves' Tools image 1.5 This was underwhelming in Forgotten Realms, and it will be here too. The UB deck in the format is about making creatures unblockable, and the BR deck likes treasure – but both of those were true in Forgotten Realms and this still didn’t really do enough to make the cut with regularity.
Patriar's Humiliation image 2.5 So, a one mana instant that does damage to a creature equal to the number of creatures you have in play is usually about a 2.0. It can be really efficient removal, but it requires enough set up that it isn’t premium. This adds the “creature loses all abilities” text to the mix, which means that you can get a bonus effect that keeps that creature from ever having abilities again, which can matter sometimes. More importantly, it means that even in a situation where you can’t quite kill a creature this can do still do something. You do still need to be killing things with this for it to be worth a slot in your deck, but basically the fail case is less awful than usual.
A-Circle of the Land Druid image
A-Sepulcher Ghoul image
Guardian Naga image 2.5 Another Adventure where neither half is especially good. The ADventure is an expensive Disenchant, and the creature has underwhelming stats for 7, even with Vigilance and its ability to not take damage during your turn. You won’t always have something to use the Adventure side on, but it is pretty nice that you can run this in your main deck without a huge cost. After all, you do still get a creature eventually, even if it is overcosted.
Pack 2 Pick 6: Sewer Plague
Trelasarra, Moon Dancer image 3.5 This is our last signpost Uncommon, and it is another one that is a reprint from Forgotten Realms. It offers a very strong Life gain payoff, as it is basically a better Ajani’s Pridemate, since you get to Scry in addition to getting a counter! A turn two Trelassara can quickly get out of control in a Green/White deck, and it can even be very valuable in the late game.
A-Lapis Orb of Dragonkind image
A-Druidic Ritual image
You Hear Something on Watch image 3.0 This was a solid card for slower decks in Forgotten Realms Limited. Being able to kill a whole lot of creatures in the format for only two mana is nice, even if it is situational – and that is the mode you’ll use the most on this. But the board pump comes up sometimes too!
Iron Golem image 1.0 This has solid stats, but the whole has to block and attack thing is a pretty big downside. You end up in situations where the trades are super ugly for you, or worse – you can’t even trade because they have a large creature.
Thieves' Tools image 1.5 This was underwhelming in Forgotten Realms, and it will be here too. The UB deck in the format is about making creatures unblockable, and the BR deck likes treasure – but both of those were true in Forgotten Realms and this still didn’t really do enough to make the cut with regularity.
A-Sepulcher Ghoul image
Vampire Spawn image 3.0 This was a nice little common in Forgotten Realms. It has passable stats and creates a life point difference of 4 just from entering the battlefield. That is surprisingly good!
Sewer Plague image 3.0 This is premium removal. Sure, -2/-2 for three mana isn’t great, but the fact that the creature keeps getting -1/-1 every turn means that it will often set things in motion for a larger creature to die. It basically can kill things as big of a 3/3 before your opponent gets a chance to do anything, too.
Pack 2 Pick 7: Black Dragon
A-Lapis Orb of Dragonkind image
Guiding Bolt image 2.5 We see this effect a lot, and it is usually worth playing in your main deck, though not terribly exciting. Most decks have targets for a removal spell like this, but not so many you can look at this as premium, even with Scry 2 attached. Still, the first copy seems pretty solid.
Black Dragon image 3.5 Forgotten Realms ended up being fast enough that this big dragon really underperformed. In most formats, this would have been really good, and I fully expect this to be better in this format than in that one. This comes down with a very real body and kills something, and you definitely get 7 mana’s worth of value. This format also has some pretty legitimate reanimator stuff going on, so getting this to come into play early is a real possibility.
Hoard Robber image 2.5 This was a big overperformer in Forgotten Realms, where its stat-line really lined up in such a way that actually blocking it early was a challenge in a sea of 2/1 creatures, so it would generate a fair bit of treasure. It will probably be a little less good here, as part of what made it great was fairly format specific, but it is still a pretty nice Common.
Devoted Paladin image 2.0 This is a Forgotten Realms reprint, and it is a pretty solid card, especially if you’re good at going wide, at it looks like Red-White will be able to do that, both with tokens and double team.
Clever Conjurer image 2.0 This is another Forgotten Realms reprint, and it was fairly unimpressive in that format. It can help you ramp, which is cool, but the fact you can’t use the ability at instant speed is a huge bummer, as it makes the card wayyy worse. It can’t be used to threaten to untap things when your opponent attacks you and things like that.
You Find Some Prisoners image 1.5 So, this either lets you Shatter something, or it lets you take the best card from your opponents top three. While that latter option is definitely sweet, it isn’t actually that powerful, because you’re still just getting back one card with it, and you still have to cast the card you choose. There are enough Artifacts in this set that I think this is actually a pretty reasonable main deck card, where you can just use the “Interrogate” option against an opponent who doesn’t have a target.
Inspiring Bard image 2.5 Neither mode here is amazing, but you’ll almost always be in a situation where one of them is useful. If you’re behind, you’ll gain life, and if you’re ahead, you’ll buff something so you can send it in.
Pack 2 Pick 8: Genasi Rabble-Rouser
Arcane Archery image 2.0 I don’t normally like 3 mana tricks, even if they give sizable boosts and trample like this. One and two mana tricks are usually where its at. Three mana is a ton, and it means that you have less opening to use a trick, and it means you are taking a greater risk if things go sideways. However, this trick definitely gives back for the risk that you take, since it substantially upgrades your next creature spell.
Water Weird image 3.0 When you hit your opponent with this, you get a pretty good trigger. You either get to grow the Weird, or Surveil 1, and both are pretty nice options.
You Find Some Prisoners image 1.5 So, this either lets you Shatter something, or it lets you take the best card from your opponents top three. While that latter option is definitely sweet, it isn’t actually that powerful, because you’re still just getting back one card with it, and you still have to cast the card you choose. There are enough Artifacts in this set that I think this is actually a pretty reasonable main deck card, where you can just use the “Interrogate” option against an opponent who doesn’t have a target.
Circle of the Moon Druid image 2.5 This was alright last time around. The 4/2 side was nice for getting pack tactics on line, and being a 2/4 when on defense is pretty good too. It basically gives you two nice, but unexciting stat-lines, and you get the optimal one for whether you’re attacking or blocking.
Hoard Robber image 2.5 This was a big overperformer in Forgotten Realms, where its stat-line really lined up in such a way that actually blocking it early was a challenge in a sea of 2/1 creatures, so it would generate a fair bit of treasure. It will probably be a little less good here, as part of what made it great was fairly format specific, but it is still a pretty nice Common.
Rimeshield Frost Giant image 2.0 Another reprint, and a pretty medium one. This has some decent-sized ground stats, and Ward 3 does make it hard to get this thing out of the way, but it isn’t a GREAT 5-drop, and really you’re hoping for a better one.
Genasi Rabble-Rouser image 3.0 This is a pretty strong Common. A two mana ⅓ with the ability to pump its power for one and a Red is probably pretty close to a 2.5, so obviously adding Double Team to the mix is pretty nice. This is a nice two drop for aggressive Red decks.
Pack 2 Pick 9: Grim Bounty
Boareskyr Tollkeeper image 3.0 This is a nice little two drop that makes your opponent’s life a little bit more difficult, and it pairs well with the UW deck in the format which can absue ETB abilities. It is sweet that you can even make lands enter tapped! I think the trigger here is going to give you some pretty real tempo.
Ambition's Cost image 1.5 4 mana to draw three is nice and all, but as a sorcery that loses you three life as well, this seems way too clunky. You can’t not add to the board at all while you’re spending four mana, unless the game is getting really long.
Poison the Blade image 2.0 I’m never super high on this kind of trick. Yes, it makes any creature trade for anything, and then you draw a card, which is nice. But your creature you use this on is usually also going to be dying in combat, so the advantage you get out of this is less impressive. I mean, it is definitely fine, but I don’t plan on going after it that early, or even always playing it.
Grim Bounty image 3.5 This is a little clunky at 4 mana, but being able to kill anything for that cost was pretty good in Forgotten Realms, and it will be pretty good here too. It is a removal spell that even helps you splash, and gives you the treasure synergy you need.
You Line Up the Shot image 1.5 So, this is the usual “Crushing Canopy” type effect we see, but it is actually a little bit better. This is because instead of paying three up front, you can choose to pay in installments. It is also better because it can also just be cycled away for one mana. This card does suffer a bit from the fact there are some adventures in this set that let you deal with the same sorts of things, and they turn into creatures, so those are probably just better than You Line Up the Shot. But still, any time you add Cycling to a card that can be situationally useful, it tends to be playable, and I think that’s what we have here.
A-Lantern of Revealing image
Pack 2 Pick 10: A-Guildsworn Prowler
Wizened Githzerai image 1.5 This doesn’t seem that good to me. Sure, it can chump block or trade and make a creature worse, but chumping is not something you want to be doing a whole lot. And yeah, the -2/-0 sticks around no matter what happens to the creature, but I still feel like this is a two drop you will cut pretty often.
Mace of Disruption image 1.0 The idea is that you have duplicates created by Double Team, and while that is going to happen, the fact that the perpetual +1/+0 is so conditional makes this pretty bad, as the initial boost isn’t really enough to make the card worth playing.
Circle of the Moon Druid image 2.5 This was alright last time around. The 4/2 side was nice for getting pack tactics on line, and being a 2/4 when on defense is pretty good too. It basically gives you two nice, but unexciting stat-lines, and you get the optimal one for whether you’re attacking or blocking.
A-Manticore image
A-Guildsworn Prowler image
Pack 2 Pick 11: Rimeshield Frost Giant
You Hear Something on Watch image 3.0 This was a solid card for slower decks in Forgotten Realms Limited. Being able to kill a whole lot of creatures in the format for only two mana is nice, even if it is situational – and that is the mode you’ll use the most on this. But the board pump comes up sometimes too!
You're Ambushed on the Road image 1.0 This was not really playable in Forgotten Realms. It is tempting to look at a card like this and think of all the ways you can use those two modes – but too often neither of the modes is actually worth using up a card. Now, this format does have more reasons to return your own stuff to your hand, but I don’t think that makes this all that much better.
Prophetic Prism image 2.0 Mana filters don’t tend to be great in Limited, but adding a cantrip to a card like this definitely makes me interested. We’ve seen this card in some really artifact-centric sets actually be quite good, but this format doesn’t have any big Artifact theme, so it doesn’t have that benefit here. It is probably mostly just solid.
Rimeshield Frost Giant image 2.0 Another reprint, and a pretty medium one. This has some decent-sized ground stats, and Ward 3 does make it hard to get this thing out of the way, but it isn’t a GREAT 5-drop, and really you’re hoping for a better one.
Pack 2 Pick 12: Clever Conjurer
Mace of Disruption image 1.0 The idea is that you have duplicates created by Double Team, and while that is going to happen, the fact that the perpetual +1/+0 is so conditional makes this pretty bad, as the initial boost isn’t really enough to make the card worth playing.
Clever Conjurer image 2.0 This is another Forgotten Realms reprint, and it was fairly unimpressive in that format. It can help you ramp, which is cool, but the fact you can’t use the ability at instant speed is a huge bummer, as it makes the card wayyy worse. It can’t be used to threaten to untap things when your opponent attacks you and things like that.
You're Ambushed on the Road image 1.0 This was not really playable in Forgotten Realms. It is tempting to look at a card like this and think of all the ways you can use those two modes – but too often neither of the modes is actually worth using up a card. Now, this format does have more reasons to return your own stuff to your hand, but I don’t think that makes this all that much better.
Pack 2 Pick 13: Thieves' Tools
Dawnbringer Cleric image 2.0 This is another reprint from Forgotten Realms. It is a decent little two drop. If you’re the life gain deck, it can get those triggers going, and the format has enough artifacts and Enchantments that those modes are reasonable too.
Thieves' Tools image 1.5 This was underwhelming in Forgotten Realms, and it will be here too. The UB deck in the format is about making creatures unblockable, and the BR deck likes treasure – but both of those were true in Forgotten Realms and this still didn’t really do enough to make the cut with regularity.
Pack 2 Pick 14: Thieves' Tools
Thieves' Tools image 1.5 This was underwhelming in Forgotten Realms, and it will be here too. The UB deck in the format is about making creatures unblockable, and the BR deck likes treasure – but both of those were true in Forgotten Realms and this still didn’t really do enough to make the cut with regularity.
Pack 3 Pick 1: Pilgrim's Eye
Alaundo the Seer image 3.5 It basically lets you loot – which is always good, but instead of discarding the card, you effectively give it suspend! Now, the suspend will be quite high on expensive cards, which is what you probably want to discard more often than not. There will be times where you just can’t wait for something like this. You also can’t play lands off of this, and if you want to load your graveyard this doesn’t do that either. However, the card selection + the value it can give you in a few turns seems pretty nice.
Vhal, Eager Scholar image 4.0 A 3-mana 2/1 that can tap and loot for free is something you’d usually play in Limited. Unlike some of the other Specialize creatures out there, this is one where you have to have it stick around on its front side for awhile if you want to get good value out of it, because when it transforms it consumes the study counters you get for looting and gives you a powerful effect depending on how many counters it had. So it takes a little while to get it going, but because the front is already a nice card, and the specialized versions of it all give you some powerful effects, this still looks really good.
Korlessa, Scale Singer image 3.5 As Korlessa tells you, UG is a dragon tribal deck, and this is quite the payoff! The format has enough cheap Dragons that casting them from the top – even in the mid-game is very doable. This also gives you a nice defensive creature who can stall things till you can start casting bigger dragons, and the info it gives you about the top of your library is pretty important too.
Prosperous Innkeeper image 3.5 This was really nice in Forgotten Realms, and it will be here too! Gaining the life is a big deal, especially in Green/White, and the fact that it ramps and fixes for you is great.
Unexpected Windfall image 1.5 This is a card that is great in constructed, but much less impressive in Limited. Spending 4 mana and giving up two cards to get back two cards and a couple of treasure just isn’t as impactful. That doesn’t mean this is bad – but it definitely isn’t something you run in all of your Red decks.
Chain Devil image 2.0 We see these creatures that ETB and make both players sacrifice something a lot, and they are usually pretty medium. It is nice that this one says “nontoken,” as your opponent having a token when you play an effect like this is pretty brutal. Of course, it also means that you can’t sacrifice a token to it either! There are decks in this format that will have good sacrifice fodder and stuff, and I think this will slot in as a decent card in most Black decks.
A-Steadfast Unicorn image
Hill Giant Herdgorger image 2.5 In Forgotten Realms, if you were in Green, you really needed one of these to help you stabilize against the formats aggro decks, and it did a pretty darn good job between its size and the life gain effect. It will likely fill a similar role in Green decks int his format. All of these big ol’ green creatures that gain you life have been pretty solid in recent formats, and I think that’s true here.
Pilgrim's Eye image 3.0 This is pretty sweet at Common. It provides nice fixing while actually adding to the board, and a 1/1 Flyer can even chip in for some damage sometimes. Also another good card to blink over and over for value.
A-Druidic Ritual image
You Find the Villains' Lair image 1.5 This wasn’t especially good in Forgotten Realms. Sure, it has two modes and everything, but neither of them is especially good, and both are fairly situational. This can be Cancel, or a three mana Faithless Looting, and that just isn’t something you’re always in the market for.
Arcane Archery image 2.0 I don’t normally like 3 mana tricks, even if they give sizable boosts and trample like this. One and two mana tricks are usually where its at. Three mana is a ton, and it means that you have less opening to use a trick, and it means you are taking a greater risk if things go sideways. However, this trick definitely gives back for the risk that you take, since it substantially upgrades your next creature spell.
Celestial Unicorn image 2.5 This is a Forgotten Realms reprint, and it is a solid little life gain payoff, that goes especially well in the GW deck. It was never super impressive or anything, but hey – it can definitely grow throughout the game in a good GW deck.
Sylvan Shepherd image 2.0 This has passable stats and it is a repeatable source of life gain, which GW is especially interested in.
Pack 3 Pick 2: Grim Bounty
Gate to the Citadel image 2.5 So, these five gates don’t fix mana for you at all, and coming into play tapped can be a liability, but they mostly make up for that by being capable of drawing you a card in the late game – and the card you draw is always a nonland, and that’s a big deal. There is only one Gate payoff in the set, and it isn’t good.
Dragonborn Immolator image 3.0 A 4-mana 2/4 that can get +1/+0 for two mana is probably a 2.5, so the death trigger here is really sweet, as it will be able to make your next creature more formidable.
Sarevok the Usurper image 4.0 Before this Specializes, it is a pretty nice card. Even if you only have a single creature in your graveyard, being able to offer that boost every turn is pretty relevant. Saervok can even pump himself! Then, if your graveyard has some more going on, it becomes even more potent. And obviously, once Saervok specializes, he becomes even more impressive. I don’t actually love the Blue-Black versino of Saervok, but the other three – and especially the Menace one – are pretty scary. A 4/4 Menace that gives Menace and a stats boost to another creature every turn is going to end a lot of games.
Hill Giant Herdgorger image 2.5 In Forgotten Realms, if you were in Green, you really needed one of these to help you stabilize against the formats aggro decks, and it did a pretty darn good job between its size and the life gain effect. It will likely fill a similar role in Green decks int his format. All of these big ol’ green creatures that gain you life have been pretty solid in recent formats, and I think that’s true here.
Dragon's Fire image 4.0 This was a premium removal spell in Forgotten Realms, and it will probably be even better here, since this set is way more into Dragon than that one was. Two mana to do 3 at instant speed is already premium, so the dragon upside is pretty amazing.
Grim Bounty image 3.5 This is a little clunky at 4 mana, but being able to kill anything for that cost was pretty good in Forgotten Realms, and it will be pretty good here too. It is a removal spell that even helps you splash, and gives you the treasure synergy you need.
Incessant Provocation image 1.0 // 3.0 As usual, the Threaten effect in this set is a build around. There is sacrifice stuff around - Seplucher Ghoul at Common can sacrifice things for free, and if you have cards like that the Provocation will be something you want to play, since you can get rid of their creature permanently and get a bonus on the way there! If you don’t have 3+ ways to sacrifice creatures though, you hope you’re not playing this. It does perpetually force the creature to attack, but that really isn’t going to feel like enough most of the time.
Nefarious Imp image 2.0 This is a decent payoff for creatures leaving the battlefield, especially because it is stapled to such a reasonable creature. Scry 1 isn’t going to let you take over the game or anything, but it definitely helps!
Ambitious Dragonborn image 1.5 It is a pretty big deal that this checks the graveyard, because if it didn’t, it would be pretty challenging to make this big enough. That said, even with it checking the graveyard, there are going to be times where this is a Hill Giant or worse, and that’s brutal – and the big payoff in the end is just a big vanilla creature – which is fine, but it isn’t the most impressive ceiling either.
A-Blessed Hippogriff image
You Line Up the Shot image 1.5 So, this is the usual “Crushing Canopy” type effect we see, but it is actually a little bit better. This is because instead of paying three up front, you can choose to pay in installments. It is also better because it can also just be cycled away for one mana. This card does suffer a bit from the fact there are some adventures in this set that let you deal with the same sorts of things, and they turn into creatures, so those are probably just better than You Line Up the Shot. But still, any time you add Cycling to a card that can be situationally useful, it tends to be playable, and I think that’s what we have here.
Undersimplify image 1.5 This is a pretty neat design. So, a counterspell that lets your opponent ignore it for two isn’t usually great in Limited, since you have to have the mana up at the right time and your opponent also has to not have the mana to pay for it. But they soften the blow of your opponent paying 2 to ignore it, since you weaken a creature when you target it with this, whether the spell actually gets countered or not. Now, that’s mostly just a consolation prize, but it does at least mean this does something when your opponent has the mana, unlike most counterspells like this. I think you’ll still cut this reasonably often, though.
Summon Undead image 1.5 // 3.0 Here’s another pretty solid reanimation spell. It also mills you, to set up your cards that care about cards in the graveyard, and I like that. There are enough ways to discard cards in this format that I think setting this up is very doable. It probably does need a build around grade, because if you aren’t in a deck with any targets WORTH reanimating, it isn’t worth playing.
Pack 3 Pick 3: Sewer Plague
Jan Jansen, Chaos Crafter image 4.0 So, this thing loves Artifacts, and pays you off reasonably well for them. One kind of fun thing you can do with him is give up an artifact creature, get two treasure tokens, and then turn those tokens into more bodies. Basically, he can help you go wide with your tokens and/or fix your mana, and the various sacrifice synergies around make him even better! Like the other three color legendaries in this set – he is definitely a build around, but when you get there, he’s going to be good! You need a good number of artifacts and good mana to play him. That will probably be somewhat easy, because the BR deck is a treasure deck in this format, so splashing Jan Jansen won’t be that hard there. As a result, this probably doesn’t really need a build around grade, as a whole deck in the format will very easily slot this in.
Monk of the Open Hand image 2.0 Another Forgotten Realms reprint. This was a decent one drop in that format, as getting the counters on it came a little easier than I expected it to. Getting it in play late doesn’t feel very good, though.
Gate to Manorborn image 2.5 So, these five gates don’t fix mana for you at all, and coming into play tapped can be a liability, but they mostly make up for that by being capable of drawing you a card in the late game – and the card you draw is always a nonland, and that’s a big deal. There is only one Gate payoff in the set, and it isn’t good.
Gut, Fanatical Priestess image 3.0 Like most Specialize cards, I think this looks pretty nice – although this might be the worst of the specialize cards in the format. Six mana is a lot for a 4/3, and while she does set up a Fight when she comes down, you won’t always be able to make a fight happen that actually exiles a creature, and exiling the thing you Fight is necessary to really make Gut worth Specializing. If you do exile something and specialize her, she is pretty crazy, since she makes you a hasty token version of the thing that you exile. On her own, she can just take down a 2/2 before specializing, and that isn’t terrible.. Still, her casting cost and specialize cost are both high enough that I don’t think I’m eager to first pick her, which isn’t something I’ve said this week about a specialize creature!
Mace of Disruption image 1.0 The idea is that you have duplicates created by Double Team, and while that is going to happen, the fact that the perpetual +1/+0 is so conditional makes this pretty bad, as the initial boost isn’t really enough to make the card worth playing.
Arcane Archery image 2.0 I don’t normally like 3 mana tricks, even if they give sizable boosts and trample like this. One and two mana tricks are usually where its at. Three mana is a ton, and it means that you have less opening to use a trick, and it means you are taking a greater risk if things go sideways. However, this trick definitely gives back for the risk that you take, since it substantially upgrades your next creature spell.
Devoted Paladin image 2.0 This is a Forgotten Realms reprint, and it is a pretty solid card, especially if you’re good at going wide, at it looks like Red-White will be able to do that, both with tokens and double team.
Contact Other Plane image 2.0 Another Forgotten Realms reprint! Over the last year or so, most cards that JUST draw you two cards for 4 mana, even at instant speed, have been really disappointing. Limited has become more and more about adding to the board when you spend mana, and this just doesn’t do it. Now, it isn’t terrible, if you roll a 10 through 20 it is a pretty nice draw spell, and I don’t hate the idea of running one of these in your Blue decks, but you really can’t have that many cards that don’t add to the board and hope to do well.
Warriors of Tiamat image 2.5 A 5-mana 4/2 with Haste isn’t something you want to play, but combining haste with Double Team is pretty spicy, since it means unlike other Double Team creatures, you can get that extra copy of the card before your opponent has a chance to untap. The downside, of course, is lots of cheap creatures and removal can trade with this thing, but they still have to find a way to deal with it twice, and that’s pretty nice.
Follow the Tracks image 3.0 This is an interesting take on ramp and fixing. You get to choose one of the Uncommon gates, meaning you can effectively get a land that produces whatever color you need, while also ramping – and the Gate lands all can draw you a card in the late game too. This is certainly a little clunky, but the ramp and fixing it offers is a pretty big deal.
Sewer Plague image 3.0 This is premium removal. Sure, -2/-2 for three mana isn’t great, but the fact that the creature keeps getting -1/-1 every turn means that it will often set things in motion for a larger creature to die. It basically can kill things as big of a 3/3 before your opponent gets a chance to do anything, too.
You Line Up the Shot image 1.5 So, this is the usual “Crushing Canopy” type effect we see, but it is actually a little bit better. This is because instead of paying three up front, you can choose to pay in installments. It is also better because it can also just be cycled away for one mana. This card does suffer a bit from the fact there are some adventures in this set that let you deal with the same sorts of things, and they turn into creatures, so those are probably just better than You Line Up the Shot. But still, any time you add Cycling to a card that can be situationally useful, it tends to be playable, and I think that’s what we have here.
Pack 3 Pick 4: Dragon's Fire
Portable Hole image 1.5 This is a reprint from Forgotten Realms, and it was pretty mediocre in that Limited format. You can definitely play it in your White decks and it usually won’t feel horrible, but there will be some games where you have no real targets for this. Your typical Limited deck will probably have 4-5 things it can hit, and that’s a little too narrow.
Liara of the Flaming Fist image 3.0 This is the Red/White signpost uncommon. Unsurprisingly, it is a go-wide aggro deck – in this case, it is really built around the Double Team mechanic, as that is the easiest way to get cards with the same name. Notably, this also will help you out with tokens! The fact you can give anything double team and first strike is pretty spicy too, as you can give it to your best creature to get another copy – and First Strike helps that creature survive. Note, by the way, that ability can only be used once. Period. Not once per turn! But still, having that ability once seems pretty strong.
Trelasarra, Moon Dancer image 3.5 This is our last signpost Uncommon, and it is another one that is a reprint from Forgotten Realms. It offers a very strong Life gain payoff, as it is basically a better Ajani’s Pridemate, since you get to Scry in addition to getting a counter! A turn two Trelassara can quickly get out of control in a Green/White deck, and it can even be very valuable in the late game.
Rimeshield Frost Giant image 2.0 Another reprint, and a pretty medium one. This has some decent-sized ground stats, and Ward 3 does make it hard to get this thing out of the way, but it isn’t a GREAT 5-drop, and really you’re hoping for a better one.
Arcane Archery image 2.0 I don’t normally like 3 mana tricks, even if they give sizable boosts and trample like this. One and two mana tricks are usually where its at. Three mana is a ton, and it means that you have less opening to use a trick, and it means you are taking a greater risk if things go sideways. However, this trick definitely gives back for the risk that you take, since it substantially upgrades your next creature spell.
Warriors of Tiamat image 2.5 A 5-mana 4/2 with Haste isn’t something you want to play, but combining haste with Double Team is pretty spicy, since it means unlike other Double Team creatures, you can get that extra copy of the card before your opponent has a chance to untap. The downside, of course, is lots of cheap creatures and removal can trade with this thing, but they still have to find a way to deal with it twice, and that’s pretty nice.
Dread Linnorm image 3.0 Like a lot of Adventure cards, neither side of this thing blows you away. The trick is expensive for what it does, and fairly situational, and the creature is big and only sort of hard to block. But when you get both on one card, it is a completely different thing. It isn’t that difficult to generate a 2-for-1 with it. You have to pick your spots for the trick to work well to be sure, but it can help your creature win combat and it can even counter a removal spell. So, using that trick in the mid-game, and then slamming this 7/6 late is going to feel pretty good. You probably don’t want more than one copy of this in the end, but I do think that first copy is a pretty nice Common.
Gray Slaad image 1.0 // 3.0 So, the Black-Green deck in this format is pretty interested in milling itself, and this looks like a nice enabler and payoff for that deck. A 4/1 with Menace and Deathtouch is pretty hard to interact with! However, you pretty much have to be in that deck, or the Adventure on this isn’t very good, and the creature won’t be that good either. Only counting creature cards for it to get the bonus is pretty rough too. This probably means this needs a build around grade. It will be a really good Common for Black/Green decks, but pretty mediocre for everyone else.
Jaded Sell-Sword image 2.0 Ramping into Treasure with this felt decent in Forgotten Realms, but it definitely wasn’t amazing. It can come down and attack on almost any board when you do get it those two keyword abilities, but when it is just a 4-mana 4/3 it feels pretty bad, and that happens a little too often.
Demogorgon's Clutches image 1.5 This is an underwhelming reprint. It is a Mind Rot with some added value, but the added value is too minimal for it to really be that much better than Mind Rot.
Dragon's Fire image 4.0 This was a premium removal spell in Forgotten Realms, and it will probably be even better here, since this set is way more into Dragon than that one was. Two mana to do 3 at instant speed is already premium, so the dragon upside is pretty amazing.
Pack 3 Pick 5: Sewer Plague
Craving of Yeenoghu image 2.0 This seems like a decent aura, especially once you get in the graveyard. The fact it can keep coming back is nice, although after the second time you bring it back you are getting negative stats to go with the Haste, which is far less good – those first two activations will be a pretty nice way to add stats and Haste to a creature you play for only one Red mana though. It is probably at its best if you find a way to discard it early, and you never actually cast it the traditional way.
Wild Shape image 1.0 This was not good in Forgotten Realms. Sure, it has a bunch of modes, but the only one that tends to matter is the Hexproof one, and that effect is pretty darn narrow. It feels good when you blank removal with it of course, but there are lots of situations where there is just no real way to use this card effectively.
Water Weird image 3.0 When you hit your opponent with this, you get a pretty good trigger. You either get to grow the Weird, or Surveil 1, and both are pretty nice options.
Ranger Squadron image 2.5 Without Double Team, this is not a very good card – the stats just don’t look good. But, this is a Double Team creature with Flying, and that means yo’ure pretty likely to get that second copy. And yeah, it is two copies of an inefficient creature, but we’ve seen in many Limited formats that any sort of effect that gives you card advantage tends to be good, even if what you’re getting isn’t efficient.
Dueling Rapier image 1.5 This ended up being surprisingly solid in Forgotten Realms, but that format turned out to be fairly aggressive, and there was an Equipment deck. Without that synergy, this is basically a one mana trick that gives +2/+0 and then the boost sticks around. That can definitely be good, but because it doesn’t offer any boost that will assist your creature in SURVIVING combat, it is a bit more limited. Your creature will usually just go down, even if it takes another creature with it. Then, you have to deal with Equip 4, which is pretty ugly. I mean, you definitely end up playing one of these in really aggressive Red decks, but you cut it a fair bit too.
Sylvan Shepherd image 2.0 This has passable stats and it is a repeatable source of life gain, which GW is especially interested in.
Summon Undead image 1.5 // 3.0 Here’s another pretty solid reanimation spell. It also mills you, to set up your cards that care about cards in the graveyard, and I like that. There are enough ways to discard cards in this format that I think setting this up is very doable. It probably does need a build around grade, because if you aren’t in a deck with any targets WORTH reanimating, it isn’t worth playing.
Chain Devil image 2.0 We see these creatures that ETB and make both players sacrifice something a lot, and they are usually pretty medium. It is nice that this one says “nontoken,” as your opponent having a token when you play an effect like this is pretty brutal. Of course, it also means that you can’t sacrifice a token to it either! There are decks in this format that will have good sacrifice fodder and stuff, and I think this will slot in as a decent card in most Black decks.
Sewer Plague image 3.0 This is premium removal. Sure, -2/-2 for three mana isn’t great, but the fact that the creature keeps getting -1/-1 every turn means that it will often set things in motion for a larger creature to die. It basically can kill things as big of a 3/3 before your opponent gets a chance to do anything, too.
Cloak of the Bat image 1.5 This sort of Equipment always seems to underwhelm. It feels like it should actually do something nice pretty often, but it just doesn’t. If you have a big ol’ creature it feels pretty good, but the awkward thing about the card is that if you want to take advantage of the Haste end of thing, you need to have the mana available to equip it to whatever new creature you play. The creature also has to already be pretty good for these keywords to do their job.
Pack 3 Pick 6: Jaded Sell-Sword
Mind Spike image 1.5 This is a neat take on Duress – and that’s what this is for the most part. You do get less info about your opponents hand, because they only reveal cards you can hit. Normally Duress isn’t really playable in your main deck in limited, however this adds the bonus of just turning into a one mana draw one when you don’t hit something. That gets around the main problem with Duress, which is that it does stone nothing way too often. Still, you do pay 2 life, and this isn’t exactly a hugely impactful card regardless of which thing happens, so you’re going to cut it a lot. But you’ll play it more than Duress!
Gate to Manorborn image 2.5 So, these five gates don’t fix mana for you at all, and coming into play tapped can be a liability, but they mostly make up for that by being capable of drawing you a card in the late game – and the card you draw is always a nonland, and that’s a big deal. There is only one Gate payoff in the set, and it isn’t good.
Valiant Farewell image 2.0 This doesn’t seem like an amazing combat trick. That’s because it costs two mana and only offers +2/+0 to your creature, and without a toughness boost, that means your creature’s chances of surviving combat are significantly lower. Now, it does replace itself, and it also offers a permanent boost to your next creature. And that value certainly helps this card out, but it still means that in a lot of situations you’ll use up this trick and a creature, and end up not really gaining anything on the board. So the tempo doesn’t seem awesome. The times where you can use this and keep your creature alive will feel absurd, though!
Demogorgon's Clutches image 1.5 This is an underwhelming reprint. It is a Mind Rot with some added value, but the added value is too minimal for it to really be that much better than Mind Rot.
You Find Some Prisoners image 1.5 So, this either lets you Shatter something, or it lets you take the best card from your opponents top three. While that latter option is definitely sweet, it isn’t actually that powerful, because you’re still just getting back one card with it, and you still have to cast the card you choose. There are enough Artifacts in this set that I think this is actually a pretty reasonable main deck card, where you can just use the “Interrogate” option against an opponent who doesn’t have a target.
A-Dragonborn Looter image
Devoted Paladin image 2.0 This is a Forgotten Realms reprint, and it is a pretty solid card, especially if you’re good at going wide, at it looks like Red-White will be able to do that, both with tokens and double team.
Flaming Fist Duskguard image 2.0 The boon you get here isn’t that exciting, but yeah – it is staples to a two mana 3/1, and that’s a decent aggressive stat-line. This is probably a bread and butter type two drop for White decks.
Jaded Sell-Sword image 2.0 Ramping into Treasure with this felt decent in Forgotten Realms, but it definitely wasn’t amazing. It can come down and attack on almost any board when you do get it those two keyword abilities, but when it is just a 4-mana 4/3 it feels pretty bad, and that happens a little too often.
Pack 3 Pick 7: Two-Handed Axe
Kagha, Shadow Archdruid image 3.5 Here is the Black-Green signpost Uncommon. As is often the case, Black/Green is about the graveyard. Kagha will usually mill something when she attacks that you can use. The downside is, she’s only a ¼, and even with death touch that makes her fairly vulnerable – she can be double blocked and you can still only trade, for example. For that reason, Kagha will be at her best when you have other ways to mill yourself. Luckily, it looks like that’s what BG is about, and that won’t be that difficult.
Two-Handed Axe image 3.0 A trick that just gives double strike isn’t usually that impressive, but you can use this pretty happily in the early game just to chip in for more damage, ahead of casting this as an Equipment – that’s not something you want to be doing with a normal double strike. Now, the Equipment here isn’t amazing, I don’t think. Doubling power is pretty nice of course, but it doesn’t make your creature any less vulnerable in combat. Sticking this on something evasive is what you really want to be doing, but if you put it on most things, it does turn that creature into a pretty real threat. I just wish it were a little less clunky. Still, you have two solid cards here and that’s nice.
Follow the Tracks image 3.0 This is an interesting take on ramp and fixing. You get to choose one of the Uncommon gates, meaning you can effectively get a land that produces whatever color you need, while also ramping – and the Gate lands all can draw you a card in the late game too. This is certainly a little clunky, but the ramp and fixing it offers is a pretty big deal.
Nefarious Imp image 2.0 This is a decent payoff for creatures leaving the battlefield, especially because it is stapled to such a reasonable creature. Scry 1 isn’t going to let you take over the game or anything, but it definitely helps!
Circle of the Moon Druid image 2.5 This was alright last time around. The 4/2 side was nice for getting pack tactics on line, and being a 2/4 when on defense is pretty good too. It basically gives you two nice, but unexciting stat-lines, and you get the optimal one for whether you’re attacking or blocking.
Shocking Grasp image 2.0 Normally I’m not a big fan of cards that just lowers power, but if you add a cantrip to pretty much anything, it becomes a substantially better card, and that’s certainly true here! The worst case is you take two less damage and draw a card, and while that’s not amazing, it isn’t the worst thing ever. The times where you manage to actually use this as a full-blown trick that keeps your creature alive and kills theirs is going to feel particularly insane, since you get a two mana 2-for-1! Now, that won’t happen a ton, but it will happen!
Unexpected Allies image 1.0 I’m not a huge fan of this, mostly because at Sorcery speed, it is very easy to disrupt. Your opponent need only respond in any number of ways to get a 2-for-1. Now, if you wait until your opponent’s shields are down, this can do some work, since it makes your creature hit harder, and gives double team to whatever you want – and sometimes there will be spicy options. The +2/+0 means that it will be easier for you to at least get a trade with the attack, and the fact you get First Strike sometimes is a nice bonus that makes the creature very hard to block. However, this set seems to have a high power level, and I’m not sure how much value I see in playing something that is easy to mess up.
You Find the Villains' Lair image 1.5 This wasn’t especially good in Forgotten Realms. Sure, it has two modes and everything, but neither of them is especially good, and both are fairly situational. This can be Cancel, or a three mana Faithless Looting, and that just isn’t something you’re always in the market for.
Pack 3 Pick 8: A-Sepulcher Ghoul
A-Sepulcher Ghoul image
A-Druidic Ritual image
Sylvan Shepherd image 2.0 This has passable stats and it is a repeatable source of life gain, which GW is especially interested in.
Hoard Robber image 2.5 This was a big overperformer in Forgotten Realms, where its stat-line really lined up in such a way that actually blocking it early was a challenge in a sea of 2/1 creatures, so it would generate a fair bit of treasure. It will probably be a little less good here, as part of what made it great was fairly format specific, but it is still a pretty nice Common.
Shocking Grasp image 2.0 Normally I’m not a big fan of cards that just lowers power, but if you add a cantrip to pretty much anything, it becomes a substantially better card, and that’s certainly true here! The worst case is you take two less damage and draw a card, and while that’s not amazing, it isn’t the worst thing ever. The times where you manage to actually use this as a full-blown trick that keeps your creature alive and kills theirs is going to feel particularly insane, since you get a two mana 2-for-1! Now, that won’t happen a ton, but it will happen!
Kobold Warcaller image 2.0 We have seen a lot of one mana 1/1s that can tap and give haste to things, and they tend to be pretty decent. This is obviously an upgrade, because you don’t actually have to cast your creature for it to get the Haste – you can use this during your opponents end step and then cast the Haste creature on your turn, for example. Plus, the creature will keep haste no matter where it goes! It still isn’t amazing or anything, but seems like a fine one drop for aggressive Red decks.
Devoted Paladin image 2.0 This is a Forgotten Realms reprint, and it is a pretty solid card, especially if you’re good at going wide, at it looks like Red-White will be able to do that, both with tokens and double team.
Pack 3 Pick 9: Prosperous Innkeeper
Prosperous Innkeeper image 3.5 This was really nice in Forgotten Realms, and it will be here too! Gaining the life is a big deal, especially in Green/White, and the fact that it ramps and fixes for you is great.
Unexpected Windfall image 1.5 This is a card that is great in constructed, but much less impressive in Limited. Spending 4 mana and giving up two cards to get back two cards and a couple of treasure just isn’t as impactful. That doesn’t mean this is bad – but it definitely isn’t something you run in all of your Red decks.
A-Steadfast Unicorn image
A-Druidic Ritual image
You Find the Villains' Lair image 1.5 This wasn’t especially good in Forgotten Realms. Sure, it has two modes and everything, but neither of them is especially good, and both are fairly situational. This can be Cancel, or a three mana Faithless Looting, and that just isn’t something you’re always in the market for.
Sylvan Shepherd image 2.0 This has passable stats and it is a repeatable source of life gain, which GW is especially interested in.
Pack 3 Pick 10: Dragonborn Immolator
Dragonborn Immolator image 3.0 A 4-mana 2/4 that can get +1/+0 for two mana is probably a 2.5, so the death trigger here is really sweet, as it will be able to make your next creature more formidable.
Incessant Provocation image 1.0 // 3.0 As usual, the Threaten effect in this set is a build around. There is sacrifice stuff around - Seplucher Ghoul at Common can sacrifice things for free, and if you have cards like that the Provocation will be something you want to play, since you can get rid of their creature permanently and get a bonus on the way there! If you don’t have 3+ ways to sacrifice creatures though, you hope you’re not playing this. It does perpetually force the creature to attack, but that really isn’t going to feel like enough most of the time.
Nefarious Imp image 2.0 This is a decent payoff for creatures leaving the battlefield, especially because it is stapled to such a reasonable creature. Scry 1 isn’t going to let you take over the game or anything, but it definitely helps!
Undersimplify image 1.5 This is a pretty neat design. So, a counterspell that lets your opponent ignore it for two isn’t usually great in Limited, since you have to have the mana up at the right time and your opponent also has to not have the mana to pay for it. But they soften the blow of your opponent paying 2 to ignore it, since you weaken a creature when you target it with this, whether the spell actually gets countered or not. Now, that’s mostly just a consolation prize, but it does at least mean this does something when your opponent has the mana, unlike most counterspells like this. I think you’ll still cut this reasonably often, though.
Summon Undead image 1.5 // 3.0 Here’s another pretty solid reanimation spell. It also mills you, to set up your cards that care about cards in the graveyard, and I like that. There are enough ways to discard cards in this format that I think setting this up is very doable. It probably does need a build around grade, because if you aren’t in a deck with any targets WORTH reanimating, it isn’t worth playing.
Pack 3 Pick 11: Mace of Disruption
Monk of the Open Hand image 2.0 Another Forgotten Realms reprint. This was a decent one drop in that format, as getting the counters on it came a little easier than I expected it to. Getting it in play late doesn’t feel very good, though.
Mace of Disruption image 1.0 The idea is that you have duplicates created by Double Team, and while that is going to happen, the fact that the perpetual +1/+0 is so conditional makes this pretty bad, as the initial boost isn’t really enough to make the card worth playing.
Arcane Archery image 2.0 I don’t normally like 3 mana tricks, even if they give sizable boosts and trample like this. One and two mana tricks are usually where its at. Three mana is a ton, and it means that you have less opening to use a trick, and it means you are taking a greater risk if things go sideways. However, this trick definitely gives back for the risk that you take, since it substantially upgrades your next creature spell.
Follow the Tracks image 3.0 This is an interesting take on ramp and fixing. You get to choose one of the Uncommon gates, meaning you can effectively get a land that produces whatever color you need, while also ramping – and the Gate lands all can draw you a card in the late game too. This is certainly a little clunky, but the ramp and fixing it offers is a pretty big deal.
Pack 3 Pick 12: Liara of the Flaming Fist
Liara of the Flaming Fist image 3.0 This is the Red/White signpost uncommon. Unsurprisingly, it is a go-wide aggro deck – in this case, it is really built around the Double Team mechanic, as that is the easiest way to get cards with the same name. Notably, this also will help you out with tokens! The fact you can give anything double team and first strike is pretty spicy too, as you can give it to your best creature to get another copy – and First Strike helps that creature survive. Note, by the way, that ability can only be used once. Period. Not once per turn! But still, having that ability once seems pretty strong.
Rimeshield Frost Giant image 2.0 Another reprint, and a pretty medium one. This has some decent-sized ground stats, and Ward 3 does make it hard to get this thing out of the way, but it isn’t a GREAT 5-drop, and really you’re hoping for a better one.
Demogorgon's Clutches image 1.5 This is an underwhelming reprint. It is a Mind Rot with some added value, but the added value is too minimal for it to really be that much better than Mind Rot.
Pack 3 Pick 13: Wild Shape
Wild Shape image 1.0 This was not good in Forgotten Realms. Sure, it has a bunch of modes, but the only one that tends to matter is the Hexproof one, and that effect is pretty darn narrow. It feels good when you blank removal with it of course, but there are lots of situations where there is just no real way to use this card effectively.
Summon Undead image 1.5 // 3.0 Here’s another pretty solid reanimation spell. It also mills you, to set up your cards that care about cards in the graveyard, and I like that. There are enough ways to discard cards in this format that I think setting this up is very doable. It probably does need a build around grade, because if you aren’t in a deck with any targets WORTH reanimating, it isn’t worth playing.
Pack 3 Pick 14: Mind Spike
Mind Spike image 1.5 This is a neat take on Duress – and that’s what this is for the most part. You do get less info about your opponents hand, because they only reveal cards you can hit. Normally Duress isn’t really playable in your main deck in limited, however this adds the bonus of just turning into a one mana draw one when you don’t hit something. That gets around the main problem with Duress, which is that it does stone nothing way too often. Still, you do pay 2 life, and this isn’t exactly a hugely impactful card regardless of which thing happens, so you’re going to cut it a lot. But you’ll play it more than Duress!
Draft Pick Overview